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Blood Ninja (Blood Ninja #1)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 763 ratings · 101 reviews

Is Taro, a fisherman's son, destined for greatness?

In the course of a day, Taro's entire life changes: His father is murdered before his eyes, and Taro is taken by a mysterious ninja on a perilous journey toward safety. Someone wants Taro dead, but who -- and why? With his best friend, Hiro, and their ninja guide Shusaku, Taro gets caught in the crossfire of a bitter confl...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published December 1st 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published November 17th 2009)

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Jun 07, 2011 A&E rated it 3 of 5 stars

Young Taro is living the simple life of a fisherman with his best friend Hiro until he is assaulted by ninjas in his humble village.

Luckily he is saved by a mysterious ninja (hehehe) named Shusaku but before they are safe Taro is fatally wounded and must choose between death or becoming a myth - vampire.

Blood Ninja is an excellent book although I had a few issues with the end. It was like a Quentin Tarantino movie. But more on that later...

The characters feel real and the story is great if not a...more Young Taro is living the simple life of a fisherman with his best friend Hiro until he is assaulted by ninjas in his humble village.

Luckily he is saved by a mysterious ninja (hehehe) named Shusaku but before they are safe Taro is fatally wounded and must choose between death or becoming a myth - vampire.

Blood Ninja is an excellent book although I had a few issues with the end. It was like a Quentin Tarantino movie. But more on that later...

The characters feel real and the story is great if not a little cliched, but in a good way. The action and suspense is nearly constant throughout which I loved. Lake did an excellent job capturing the setting of in ancient Japan...maybe too good a job.

Throughout the book in order to give a sense of proportion, Lake compares things to tatami mats and torii gates. Funny enough, I'm not well versed in ancient Japanese culture. I have no idea what those things are, and without the perspective I had trouble getting visuals in certain scenes.

Ironically he does describe things that are rather obvious or common knowledge. For instance, the book is about vampires and in the beginning he overhears two men talking about someone who had two puncture wounds on his neck and was completely drained of blood.

The characters discuss that they think a kyuuketsuki is responsible. Automatically you think vampire but guys go on to explain the legend of the kyuuketsuki and it's all the usual vampire folklore.

Vampire myth I know and, okay if you want to go into it again, but you can't let me know if a room is 10 feet across instead of telling me it's the length of six tatami mats. Come on! But all in all this is a minor issue that can be overlooked.

Remember I mentioned about the Quentin Tarantino movie? Well, that comes at the end. It's a blood bath, physically and emotionally. There's lots of sacrifice and betrayal and overall unpleasantness.

I felt some things in the final scenes were unnecessary and rushed, and some just left me feeling cheated. It's like things were too perfect and suddenly things had to go bad. I would have been happier with less bitter and more sweet.

Blood Ninja is a wild ride and loads of fun. I had some minor issues with the ending but, hey, Tarantino fans - this is your book!(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-thriller

Taro lives in a small village near Shimahara Bay in the Kanto Province of Japan and he dreams that one day he will become a samurai.When he was younger, he rescued his best friend, Hiro, from a shark attack and his parents took Hiro in. Even at a young age, Taro has all of the qualities of a good warrior, strong and true. Although he spends most of his time hunting in the forest, life for Taro is pretty quiet. However, his father had fallen very ill and he knows the inevitable is bound to happen...more Taro lives in a small village near Shimahara Bay in the Kanto Province of Japan and he dreams that one day he will become a samurai.When he was younger, he rescued his best friend, Hiro, from a shark attack and his parents took Hiro in. Even at a young age, Taro has all of the qualities of a good warrior, strong and true. Although he spends most of his time hunting in the forest, life for Taro is pretty quiet. However, his father had fallen very ill and he knows the inevitable is bound to happen. One night, Taro and his mother, heard a noise in their home to find that Taro's father has been assassinated by ninja. Not knowing what's going on, or what to do, Taro foolishly tries to take revenge and fight until he is stopped by another ninja named Shusaku. What Taro doesn't realize is that Shusaku is more than a ninja--he is a Kyuuketsuki--a vampire. Furthermore, this ninja vampire's weapon bears the same symbol as Taro's bow (three hollylock leaves in a circle). In order to flee the assassins, Shusaku makes a hasty decision and Taro is changed forever. According to the ninja traitor/assassin, someone paid Shusaku good money to kill Taro, but Taro has no idea why anyone would want to kill him. What he doesn't realize is that this order comes from Lord Oda Nobunaga, the Shogun's most powerful daimiyo besides Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa. When Taro reaches Shusaku's clan, the secrets behind his existence are slowly revealed and his dream of becoming a samurai is shattered.However, Taro embarks on an adventure that will not only make him a ninja, but the most powerful being in the land.

Blood Ninja is the epitome of an epic tale where readers will not only love the richness of the back story, but he or she invest their time, energy, and hope in all of the characters. Nick Lake has definitely done his research, which not educates the readers, but allows those who are familiar with Japanese history to get excited. I grew up on samurai flicks where all of this is totally familiar, not to mention, my favorite anime series (Ruroni Kenshin) takes place in the same time period. Lake not only weaves true events into this tale, but the idea of ninja as vampires is pretty ingenious. The idea of ninja has always been shrouded by mystery and, for those who have done their research, know that these beings are incredibly powerful, but their secrets very well hiddne. Granted, I don't any Ninja, personally, I could easily see how the traits of a vampire are very similar to these warriors. Along with the historical background, the characters in this story are so beautifully STRONG! I have to give credit where its due because none of the females, in this story, are just as formidable as the male. Hana, Heiko, Yukiko, the Abess, the Ame, and, even Lady Tokugawa (lasting for as long as she did) are given the opportunity to show their strengths, which, for me, is such a huge breath of fresh air. Moreover, since this book is definitely meant for the reluctant male reader, Lake provides them with a story where the stereotypical gender roles have no place in this world, especially when vampires are for hire. Blood Ninja is action packed adventure where one boy's life takes a rather interesting turn that will either make or break him. (less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-packed, crushing-on-the-cover, digging-the-premise, fast-paced-and-engrossing, had-me-at-hello, lets-be-mates, my-kinda-protagonist, pleasantly-surprised, own

3.5

What stopped me in my tracks when I saw this was the cover. It is beautiful, really. Seriously. I mean, when I saw the black pages, hell, I was in love. The synopsis sounded promising, and so when I saw the word 'ninja's', I was in.

I had a great ride with this one. It was fast paced and engrossing and super entertaining filled with badass Ninja's and Samurai's. Taro - our protagonist, is brave and strong - with a wise, charming and ultra cool mentor to boot (A ninja. He quickly became my favo...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Oscar rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-2012

In Blood Ninja, the protaganist Taro starts as a peasant that fishes for a living, living with his parents and his best friend, whom he saved at childhood upon thier first encounter. But it all changes his family is attacked by ninja. He, his friend, and his mother were saved, but his father was killed an Taro vowed vengence. His savior soon came his mentor, when he had changed Taro into a Vampire to save his life, revealing to him the life of a vampire, as ninja, for all ninjas were vampires....more In Blood Ninja, the protaganist Taro starts as a peasant that fishes for a living, living with his parents and his best friend, whom he saved at childhood upon thier first encounter. But it all changes his family is attacked by ninja. He, his friend, and his mother were saved, but his father was killed an Taro vowed vengence. His savior soon came his mentor, when he had changed Taro into a Vampire to save his life, revealing to him the life of a vampire, as ninja, for all ninjas were vampires. Taro soon met new aquientences and began his training to become a ninja and kill the man who assigned the ninjas to kill his father. Soon he finds that his father wasn;t really his father, that his real father was a lord of another land, Lord Tokugawa, the enemy of this lands lord, Lord Oda, and it was Lord Oda who wanted Taro dead and killed his father. So he was to kill lord Oda, but it would be hard for ninjas to during the day, for the sun killed them, but not Taro, he could walk day light too! So his job was easier, but on the was many of his companies died for him to be the Shogun one day, a dear friend and even his mentor. But in the end he got what he wanted, and even befriended the Lords daughter. But when Taro drank the lords blood, then accidentally dropped his own blood into the lords mouth, after the bloody battle and thats how one becomes a vampire.
This book was amazing, its idea of ninjas being vampires has created another great vampire book, unlike the many others that do nothing but ruin vampire reputation. But this book has gave the vampire community some credit again. And the story was great over all, the scenery in the shogun time in Japan. Connecting all parts of that times community, all aspects with folktell put together too. The talk about honor and the samuri, more importantly the Bushido Code. It was so set in ancient Japan, that the ninja part and vampires part seemed so real and vivid. The main character Taro's story is a great one, with vengence for his father, rising up to become a ninja, losing many friends, including his mentor, but never his best and childhood friend, his father being a Lord, it is awesome. I rate this book to be extremley awesome and recommend it to anyone and everyone.(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

Blood Ninja completely blew me away with its creativity. I mean ninjas and vampires... in the same novel. How awesome is that? But I quickly realized that Blood Ninja was also different for another reason.

As a reader and a lover of the Japanese culture, I almost instantly appreciated Lake's eye for detail. He infuses so much of the Japanese culture into Blood Ninja. From the lush setting to the epic tales, I was completely in heaven. However, for readers not familiar with Japanese culture, it is...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Imani rated it 1 of 5 stars

I wish this would have been translated badly over to english from japanese. Atleast that would give this book an excuse for the crappy dialogue that has now infected my brain.

I've never seen a book. That uses. So many. Periods. Throughout the dialogue. To explain. Things that could. Easily be. Explained without. The periods. At all. Thus we. Have sentences. Like this.
Except that they are badly written and much much more confusing. Did they really talk like that?
The characters reactions to....ev...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book through the Amazon Vine program. I like vampires and ninjas so I thought it would be an interesting read. I was a little worried (based on the title and the cover) that this book would be too corny for me or a bit over the top. It was neither of those. It was very well-done and, if anything, a bit too devoid of any humor. It is also not a stand-alone book, which I didn't know.

Taro is a fisherman's son. At least that is what he is raised to believe. He is in for a rude surprise wh...more I got this book through the Amazon Vine program. I like vampires and ninjas so I thought it would be an interesting read. I was a little worried (based on the title and the cover) that this book would be too corny for me or a bit over the top. It was neither of those. It was very well-done and, if anything, a bit too devoid of any humor. It is also not a stand-alone book, which I didn't know.

Taro is a fisherman's son. At least that is what he is raised to believe. He is in for a rude surprise when a group of ninjas descend on his house and murder his father. One of the ninjas, Shusaku, is different though and tries to save Taro. Shusaku fails as Taro is run-through with a sword. Suddenly Taro must make a choice as his life ebbs from the wound in his stomach. Will he let Shusaku turn him into a vampire and "live" or will he die? He chooses to "live" and suddenly Taro, his best friend Hiro, and Shusaku are off on a journey that will make Taro question everything he knows about the world and himself.

There was a lot I liked about this book. The amount of Japanese history dwelling within the pages of this story is amazing. Lake really did his research and gives great detail on various aspects of Japanese history. It was fascinating to read about ninjas in the context of actual Japanese history. I am not sure how accurate all the historical details are (it would have been nice for the author to include an afterward addressing this) but they are well thought-out and seem to be well researched. The other thing I really liked about this book was the moral struggles Taro was forced to face and question. Taro comes from a world where Lord Oda is god and samurai are the noblest men he knows, ninjas are to be despised as sneaks. As he journeys with Shusaku he sees Oda's true personality and, as he meets other ninjas and other samurai, he comes to realize that the world is not as black and white as he thought. Taro's struggle with his perceptions and own morality were really well done in this book.

Another thing I liked about the book was how ninjas and vampires were melded into one race. Lake did an excellent job of making this believable and not preposterous or over-the-top at all. It is all well done and very tasteful. I also enjoyed all the cool ninja tricks and action scenes. This is definitely a book for the older young adult. As is often the case with ninjas, the violence in this book is pretty extreme.

There were a couple things I didn't like about this book. The plot is very predictable. After the first couple chapters I was able to predict how the storyline would go. The characters themselves were also very predictable. Lake's strong point is not characterization, the character's are a bit 2D and pretty dry. In fact there is no humor in this book whatsoever and that is another thing I didn't like about this book. Taro and his friends never have any fun. The book in general takes itself a bit too seriously. So if you are looking for something witty or humorous this is not the book for you.

Lastly this is not a stand-alone book. It pretty much stops right in the middle of the story with a number of things unresolved. Those who have read my reviews before know that this always irritates me; I think writers should be able to have some sort of ending in between books. The other thing that irked me is that this is not advertised as a series, yet it is clearly the start of one. If I had known it was the start of another series I probably wouldn't have read it. I spent a bit of time looking online and could not find any information about the rest of this series (how many books, next release date, etc.).

In summary I liked this book. The story is steeped in Japanese history that is interesting. The ninja vampires are well-done and believable. I thought the characterization was a bit weak and the story predictable. I was also disappointed it was so devoid of any humor. Readers looking for humor and romance should look elsewhere. Readers interested in Japanese history, ninjas, and politics will find a lot here to like. Will I read the next book in the series? I am undecided right now, I really didn't want to get involved in reading yet another series. We will see.(less)

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Jul 08, 2010 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Here's a book I wish there were 1/2 star options as it would have gotten 3 and 1/2. I liked a lot about this book. And a lot of stuff annoyed me too.

The story: Taro is a young Japanese boy, living in a fishing village. He is often teased by the other villagers and his one true friend is Hiro. Taro saved Hiro's life and now Hiro and he are inseparable. Taro's mother is a diver and his father is ill. One night a band of ninja's come to Taro's home, kill his father and attempt to kill him. One ninj...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Newengland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-in-2010, ya

Bloody fun, that's what. Just don't go spoiling things by looking for deep characters or poetic descriptions. No, no, no. This is Saturday matinee stuff, so break out the Jujubes and enjoy (especially the red ones). I promise you an impressive body count by page 20. And vampires. Does that surprise you? You mean, you didn't KNOW that all ninjas are vampires? Where've you been, anyway? All those superhuman, amazingly-agile, stunningly-strong moves don't come out of nowhere! It takes blood (like s...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Snarsha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book - it was fast paced, with just enough suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat without it getting boring. It wasn't quite as cheesy as I would have thought - what with the main characters being bot Vampires and Ninjas! Niki Lake did a great job on this book.

I don't give it 5 stars, though, because of the tempo of the book. As I said before, it was fast paced, and I like that normally, however in this book there wasn't quite enough time for me to digest information - su

...more

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Aug 11, 2011 SJH (A Dream of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, japan, young-adult, for-review

This is the perfect book for teenage boys looking for an exciting read with a gutsy hero and plenty of thrills and spills along the way. It appealed to me mainly because it's set in sixteenth century Japan, which is a country I always find endlessly fascinating and also because the concept for the story sounded so fantastic and amazing. The title itself, 'Blood Ninja' was hugely intriguing and had me reaching for the book nearly as soon as it arrived.

The story is about a young fisherman's son wh...more This is the perfect book for teenage boys looking for an exciting read with a gutsy hero and plenty of thrills and spills along the way. It appealed to me mainly because it's set in sixteenth century Japan, which is a country I always find endlessly fascinating and also because the concept for the story sounded so fantastic and amazing. The title itself, 'Blood Ninja' was hugely intriguing and had me reaching for the book nearly as soon as it arrived.

The story is about a young fisherman's son who at the beginning of the book is attacked by ninjas. His life is saved by a blood ninja who rescues him from those seeking to kidnap and kill him. There are however a lot of secrets surrounding Taro's heritage and from this moment on, his life, and the only existence he's ever known, is changed forever. He becomes a pawn in the power struggle between Lord Oda and Lord Tokugawa who are the two most powerful men in the country and are both ultimately seeking to gain total control over Japan.

I don't think it's giving anything away by saying that Nick Lake has come up with a genuinely clever and hugely original idea - ninjas who also happen to be vampires which is where they get their incredible speed, strength and agility from. They are an almost unstoppable force but are still susceptible to the usual vampire weaknesses, such as sunlight. I really enjoyed learning about how they all became vampires and the training they have to undergo to become fully fledged ninjas. This will strongly appeal to boys who will love all the action and fighting in the book, along with a generous helping of guts and glory.

I found 'Blood Ninja' to be a thrilling and exciting read which was packed full of action and a real rollercoaster ride of a story. The Japanese backdrop was the perfect setting for the book and I was fascinated by the system of hierarchy and honour which Lake describes and which is integral to the lives of all the characters. It reminded me a little bit of the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn which is a big favourite of mine. It did take me a few chapters to get completely into the story and to familiarise myself with all the characters and their loyalties but the story just kept getting better and better as it went on. This is genuinely a vampire book unlike anything else you will have read before. There are lots of surprises to keep you on your toes and the ending is both shocking and awesome at the same time.

The second book in the planned trilogy has just been released and is called 'Lord Oda's Revenge'. (less)

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Jul 25, 2010 Beth_Adele rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I was dubious at first, picking up this book already knowing it was another story cashing in on the vampire explosion. I was pleasantly surprised. The vampire part was, by all means, downplayed and I believe the story was better for it. It's like a buddy flick for boys in print. And it's not just for the boys, the world of Ninja represents for the girls too.
Though some of the characters seem less defined and not as full as some of the others, I am more inclined to believe it is because the char...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Joyce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: april-2013, novel

Taro is a normal boy living in a village until his father is killed by many ninjas. One mysterious ninja saves him from the other ninja. The only way for him to be saved though was to be turned into a ninja. As he is stuck in between the fight of two lords in Japan, he discovers his real identity. This fuels him to kill one of the lords.

I started this book because I saw Mr. Gould read Blood Ninja 2. I thought that the cover of the first book and the second book looked interesting. Mr. Gould and...more

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May 10, 2010 Tabitha Olson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: recent-reviews

The first half of this book held my interest intensely. I could hardly put it down. But the second half slowed down significantly, and the main character started doing things that I had a hard time believing he would do (such as the incident with his bow). From that first incident, there were many more, and it seemed like a different set of characters had taken over the story. Also, the prose switched from engaging and interesting to dry and a bit verbose. As a result, I struggled through the se...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Wally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, boy-hero, boylit, death, friendship, japanese, history, teen, vampires

It was inevitable that someone would have the bright idea of combining ninjas and vampires into one action-packed adventure (with the promise of a sequel at the end), but with this element of the supernatural, can it still be called historical fiction?

Taro and Hiro are best friends in a fishing village in 16th Century Japan. When Taro's father is assassinated and he is run through with a sword, his only escape is through the energizing bite of a vampire-ninja whose action saves his life, but mak...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Myra Khan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is one of the two books I've read that mash together entirely different ideas and somehow manage to make them work. (The other book was Beautiful Creatures, which combines a dusty, old, boring town in the South- with a typical Southern mentality- with a very gothic theme.) This particular book does vampires and ninjas. I thought the same thing everyone thinks when they hear vampires and ninjas in the same sentence: "What?" but Nick Lake proved that it could work. :) He proved it so wel...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Sherrie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books-assigned

I read this as a review ARC for VOYA, it's one of the few books they assign to me that I would have never read otherwise. It features ninjas who are also vampires, so my first question naturally was: are ninja vampires the Reeses peanut butter cup of literature, two great tastes that taste great together? The answer is yes and no- there was a great emphasis on the ninja angle and the bloodsuckers sort of got short shrift. The book was okay, but if a vampire fan reads it expecting to get lots of...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Isabella rated it 5 of 5 stars

The summary on the back cover? I honestly only picked up this book cause I needed something to read. I was very pleasantly surprised upon discovering a few things: 1) this book was historically accurate, as far as the time period and what was going on at the time (gloss over the fictional aspects such as the Buddha Ball). 2)Lake has perfectly blended three genres, and ones no one would expect to go together at that- feudal Japan, ninjas, and vampires (or, as he says it, kyuuketsuki). 3)the writi...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Kyleigh Trott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ninja-action-suspense

When I read this, at first, I was confused. Not just a simple confused, but a deep kind of confused. And then it clicked. Vampires, and ninja.

Move over Twilight. No need for sparkles here.

This combines the best of both worlds, really. When explaining this book to people, I often say, "All ninja are vampires, but not all vampires are ninja." It's written excellently, I love it to death, and the characters are all just so animated. You get fiercely attached to them. Mixing in a blend of Japanese...more

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May 17, 2010 Frezanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-paranormal, youngadult

Ninja is actually vampire!
This is quite an original story ( I never even find any manga that has similar idea). Because of that, I started reading with a jubilant mode, expecting to be entertained.
Well....
The execution is not as good as the idea.
First, I don't like the main character, Taro. Character wise, he was raw. He tends to be repetitive ( See second reason), a bit of an idiot ( but didn't know it), and somehow has the best of luck out of all the characters ( the fact that he's still int...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Jacie rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a really weird mash up of Ninjas and Vampires. I found it intriguing and fun to read. But then they went and killed off my favorite character in the end. With said person dead, I had no drive to read the second one and didn't. So overall the first one was good, but I only really hung on for my favorite character. Don't want to spoil it for any readers out there who have yet to read the book, but if you have read it you know who I'm talking about. The book itself would merit a 3 out of 5,...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are so many vampire books are out lately, that it's nice to see one with some different ideas. Mainly, the setting of historic Japan really adds a nice backdrop as Lake explores the blurring of good/evil in the concept of the samurai. Taro dreams of being a samurai, but meets a ninja who teaches him that not all samurai's are good/bad. And somehow, ninja's are vampires. Some of the things that Taro encounters he takes in stride, but the pace of this book keeps the reader from questioning t...more

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Dec 17, 2009 Becky marked it as to-read

Shelves: age-middle-school

Ninja vampires. It was only a matter of time.

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Dec 14, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but hey..... I really, really liked this cover! I liked the story, too, but not enough to revisit it. I think there might/should be a sequel, so I will have to look in to that- I would definately read the sequel. There wasn't really enough romance in this book, at least for me, because I am a HUGE sucker for romance.... But the story was excellent. I like the whole theme. I would recommend this to anyone who like Japanese culture, paranormal, vamp...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-have

Great story. I thought zombie hookers was a laughable concept, so when I was struck with vampire ninjas I thought it was silly, but Lake made the idea work. I love Japan and especially the history from the time period where the book is set. It flowed well, with great transitions and good plot points, a good amount of action. I think I read it in a matter of two weeks, which is fast for me because I don't often get a chance to sit for hours and read. I loved this book and want to get the rest of...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Andrea J rated it 1 of 5 stars

Keeping in mind that this is a YA book and therefore lacks the strong characterizations that would make the book more tedious to read for a younger audience - I still found the people to be paper thin. Upon finishing the last chapter, I had no idea in my head of what any of the characters look like, why they are motivated to do what they do, and honestly why I should be invested in them or care. The Japanese historical milieu gets more description than any of the characters in the book.

The story...more Keeping in mind that this is a YA book and therefore lacks the strong characterizations that would make the book more tedious to read for a younger audience - I still found the people to be paper thin. Upon finishing the last chapter, I had no idea in my head of what any of the characters look like, why they are motivated to do what they do, and honestly why I should be invested in them or care. The Japanese historical milieu gets more description than any of the characters in the book.

The story also feels like it meanders. I don't get a sense of doom or impetus - despite gory and graphic descriptions of the violence (severed heads, disembowelment, chopped body parts, etc.). I don't feel any fear for the characters and most of the writing feels very passive - as if it already happened and we're getting an abridged memory.

I think this might have worked better if it was told in first person - the main character is fairly naive and his doubts might have been more interesting from that perspective. But as it is, every plot point or thought is broadly telegraphed so as to be hit on the head. Even a cool concept - that ninjas had those nifty superpowers because they are *gasp* vampires - is just matter of factly dropped on the table and sort of left there like bland meatloaf. Reading the book gets kind of more like an exercise than an enjoyment because of the few highs and lows.

I did have some problems with the book (try to keep spoilers from this):

There are some areas that are poorly written or realized. As an example, the main character makes a huge discovery about his weapon and it could be life changing for him and the world! Chapter ends. Next chapter begins by him wondering where he lost that weapon when walking that previous night. Huh? He doesn't seem overly concerned about it and even lies about how he lost it so he doesn't have to go back and look for it.

Also kind of frustrating are the contrivances. E.g., a carrier pigeon is killed by a peasant for food in a random village and he throws away the paper with the important message on it. And not only does the main character walk past the paper but then the main villain finds it (!), opens it up, reads it, and sets up the stage for peril to the protagonist. I had a hard time suspending disbelief.

With paper thin characterizations and honestly westernized feeling personalities, comes the usual 'nun or whore' women and handsome good guy and ugly nasty deformed bad guy. About the only time the author went into the character descriptions was when he was making the bad guys as nasty ugly disgusting as possible. And insane/irrational. It was just a bit too much.

I have to admit, I had a hard time reading the book. By the ending plot machinations were done, it became irritating. Perhaps I was looking for a bit too much from a YA book. I don't know that a 16 year old would be as demanding from his/her literature but I still feel this could have been much more solidly written - plot, characterizations. (less)

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May 11, 2012 Kulsuma (sunshine and stardust) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Blood Ninja by Nick Lake is full of action, twists and turns and suspense. When his father is murdered in front of him, Taro has to run for his life with the aid of his saviour, a ninja called Shusaku and accompanied by his friend, Hiro. However, the murderers; ninjas in the pay of Lord Oda, manage to run Taro through with a sword and all hope seems to be lost. But something unexpected happens. Shusaku bites him and transforms him into a vampire.

Travelling with the mysterious Shusaku, Taro worri...more Blood Ninja by Nick Lake is full of action, twists and turns and suspense. When his father is murdered in front of him, Taro has to run for his life with the aid of his saviour, a ninja called Shusaku and accompanied by his friend, Hiro. However, the murderers; ninjas in the pay of Lord Oda, manage to run Taro through with a sword and all hope seems to be lost. But something unexpected happens. Shusaku bites him and transforms him into a vampire.

Travelling with the mysterious Shusaku, Taro worries for his mother who has run away to safety, grieves for his father and wants to seek vengeance. He has so many questions that Shusaku does not answer. Why would anyone want to kill his parents who are only peasants and have never hurt anyone? Eventually, Taro learns the incredible truth about his heritage and understands just why he is being hunted down.

Blood Ninja was a good book. I was drawn to it because I am a great fan of action and add to that Japanese history and I was hoping for something that would blow me away. It did have loads of interesting twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and I liked the plot overall. However, I did feel that it needed more development. Likewise, most of the characters, even Taro, weren’t developed enough for me to care about them. There isn’t much of an introduction to Taro, his parents and his friendship with Hiro before he’s running for his life.

Many of the characters did things without any seeming indication or clue as to what they were thinking, especially Taro. It was really hard to know what he was thinking and feeling, especially when they changed so quickly. For instance, he accepted that he was a vampire almost instantly.

Lord Oda, the villain, was grotesque. He kills anyone as long as he gets what he wants. The climax of the story was great and there are a few shocks at the turn of events at the end of the story, leaving room for a sequel. Overall, Blood Ninja was a memorable story with lots of blood, gore and guts. I would recommend it to fans of Tarantino movies and those looking for action over character development.(less)

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Jan 24, 2012 Eojin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sakura-medal-books-2012, action, adventure, crime, death, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 25, 2011 Neilr rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book not realising it was a vampire book aimed at teenage boys.

I managed to get through it but the writing isn't the best and the characters aren't believable at all, they seem to change personality during the book.

It was one of those books where something would happen and I thought "that doesn't make sense but i'll keep reading and see what happens". This happened several times during the book.

One thing that wasn't supposed to be funny but made me laugh out loud was when a good ni...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Sen rated it 4 of 5 stars

General Summary: After his father is murdered and a ninja saves his life, Taro discovers the connection between ninjas and vampires and finds himself being dragged into a bitter conflict between the rival lords ruling Japan.

Edited to include: *MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:
I've shed tears for this book (July 11, 2011 9:43 AM)! It is one book in a long time that actually made me cry; tears spilled down rapidly as I try to control myself. *totally admires Shusaku* It is actually the death of Shu...more

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About Nick Lake

Nick Lake is a children's book editor at Harper UK. He received his degree in English from Oxford University. Blood Ninja was inspired by his interest in the Far East, and by the fact that he is secretly a vampire ninja himself. Nick lives with his wife and daughter in England.

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Books by Nick Lake

The Revenge of Lord Oda (Blood Ninja, #2)

The Betrayal of the Living (Blood Ninja, #3)

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